tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64778069709402466522018-03-06T10:56:08.377-05:00The Reluctant (Semi-)VeganHey man, I just want some muesli.
Updated most Wednesdays.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-8535217399555674912011-12-28T16:54:00.003-05:002011-12-28T19:00:29.785-05:00Hello and goodbyeHello.<br /><br />The end of the year always motivates me to reflect and take stock. In fact, I've tried to get into this blog a few times over the past year but some issue with Blogger had me locked out of it.<br /><br />I am no longer trying to go vegan, and I'm happier with my eating habits than ever. This is not meant as an affront to vegans, whom I will always admire for their dedication to animal welfare. I find that about half of my meals just turn out to be vegan. I don't eat meat, but I eat fish 2-3 times a month. Increasing the protein in my diet has been one of the best changes I've made. Plain yogurt with fruit and nuts is my mainstay for breakfast, but the protein in other meals is more often from beans, tofu, eggs, or seitan than it is from dairy/fish sources.<br /><br />In late 2009, I decided to try to drop some weight and started a good old-fashioned calorie-counting regimen. By late 2010 I'd lost 25% of my body weight, bringing me from 6 pounds "overweight" to near the bottom of my "healthy weight range." I lost 4 clothing sizes and half a shoe size. I've maintained all of that weight loss and a few pounds more since the end of my diet, 14.5 months ago. I joined the National Weight Control Registry, which is a research group of Big Losers. <br /><br />I discovered that I love weightlifting. I also love yoga, running, and walking. However, my weight loss was 90% due to diet and 10% due to changes in my exercise routine (I've been exercising at least 4 days a week for the past 16 years now).<br /><br />I've become pretty good at naturally balancing my intake and output. Contrary to what you might read in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all">popular media</a>, weight loss is not that hard. Slow and steady is the key, not the starvation diets cited in the linked article and too many others like it. Also, I don't think any weight loss programs will succeed without frank and honest examination of emotions attached to food.<br /><br />I'm nattering on about weight loss because it was more than an aesthetic undertaking for me. Seeing it through has transformed my relationship with myself, as well as sparked even more interest in health, food, and fitness.<br /><br />It doesn't seem right to continue a vegan blog when I have decided not to commit to veganism. I've been logging regularly at the forums at leighpeele.com, which is a paid subscription site. I'm not sure whether I'll resume a public blog. I still dip into vegan blogs occasionally for recipe ideas and because I still like all of you!<br /><br />Best wishes to everyone in 2012 and beyond.<br /><br />AmyAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-74515749783456602772009-06-06T11:26:00.004-04:002009-06-06T11:38:43.776-04:00Pasta with mushroom sauceRecipe by request.<br /><br />3/4 lb dry pasta<br />1/4 cup crumbled dried wild mushrooms (you can use porcini or those assorted wild mushrooms blends)<br />1-1/4 cups boiling water<br />1 large onion, chopped<br />2 tablespoons olive oil<br />2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms<br />1 teaspoon oregano and 1 teaspoon basil, or about 1 tablespoon each of chopped fresh basil/oregano<br />dash of salt<br />2 tablespoons flour<br />2/3 cup red wine<br />1 tablespoon soy sauce<br />black pepper to taste<br />chopped parsley and/or cheesey substance of your choice<br /><br />Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl with the boiling water. While they soften, start sauteeing the onions. When they begin to soften, add the herbs, salt, and fresh mushrooms and continue cooking over medium heat. At this point, begin boiling the pasta water and cooking the pasta. When everything is soft in the saute pan, sprinkle in the flour, wine, and soy sauce. Stir and continue to simmer for a minute or two.<br /><br />Place a coffee filter or paper towel in a strainer and drain the wild mushrooms, making sure to save the soaking liquid. Add the soaking liquid to the saute pan. Rinse the wild mushroom pieces, chop them finely, and add them to the pan. Simmer everything on low heat for about eight more minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit.<br /><br />Serve over the cooked pasta, topped with parsley or cheese.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-45721997041475429622009-06-03T15:39:00.005-04:002009-06-03T16:17:38.036-04:00In which I try to poison my husbandI know my updates have been sporadic and incomplete lately. Many forces (work, social life, charity work, housework, <a href="http://www.hbo.com/thewire/">The Wire</a>) are in a tug-of-war for my time and updating my blog is not winning. I'll be updating when I can/ want to, but it probably won't be every week.<br /><br />I've been trying a few new or so-old-they're-new recipes over the past few weeks. Last night we had pasta with mushroom sauce, which is deliciously rich and complex, but easy to make (and vegan). I think the secret is the generous amount of red wine. The alcohol burns off during cooking...or does it? If anyone wants the recipe, leave a comment.<br /><br />I also made a broccoli-tofu stirfry with a hoisin-based sauce. Because I'm not sure if I like hoisin, I told the Mr. "I have to warn you that this sauce includes hoisin..." Before I could continue, he said, "POISON?? The sauce is POISON??" Heh heh.<br /><br />Tonight I'm excited about going to see <a href="http://www.bryant-terry.com/">Bryant Terry</a>, the author of Vegan Soul Kitchen, speak at our local library. Will they serve food in the library? I hope so but I'm skeptical. Does anyone have his cookbook? It's getting a lot of buzz around here.<br /><br />I tend to be unduly hard on myself when I miss a workout or eat something that's not good for me. I got a dose of perspective when I was in a class last week. At the beginning of the class, they put out a plate of doughnuts, muffins, bagels, etc. People devoured them and got coke or coffee during the breaks. Then huge plates of cookies and brownies appeared each day after lunch, and people helped themselves to about 4 or 5 pieces each. At one time, I would have been carbo-loading right along with them. I'm not trying to sound judgmental, but watching their eating habits reinforced to me how far I've come in overhauling my diet. It feels good to be healthy.<br /><br />PS: I'm now on <a href="http://twitter.com/aklakou">Twitter</a>.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-51048765678177104862009-05-20T22:14:00.004-04:002009-05-20T22:33:57.503-04:00Adieu, StarbucksI'm back, with a new hard drive. Man, you never realize how many preferences, plug-ins, etc. reside on your computer until you have to replace your hard drive.<br /><br />I spent all evening at a bike maintenance class and am turning in soon, but I don't want to keep my two or three readers in suspense about the results of my allergy test for any longer. <br /><br />I'm writing an essay about the two week break from wheat and dairy for a fine publication, so I'll keep it short here. I discovered that I am not gluten intolerant (oh, how relieved I was), but that I have a moderate intolerance to dairy. It's not a true allergy, but I realized that milk makes me congested and probably makes my skin break out. So I am bidding farewell to liquid milk, and ice cream, except for a very rare gelato. This is a change that I tried to make about two years ago, but I couldn't summon the will to just give up milk voluntarily. I think I like it so much because the protein in it helps to modulate my blood sugar. I know there are many evil sides to milk, though, and other things have the protein that I crave. I have switched to almond milk, which I find the most palatable of the non-dairy milks.<br /><br />Yogurt does not seem to cause the intolerance symptoms, so I'll continue to have yogurt a few times a week. If I don't have it, I find that I'm a lot more susceptible to yeast infections (sorry if TMI).<br /><br />My period of abstinence was grueling at times, but honestly, I felt so good that the cravings were generally easy to ignore. I credit the good spirits to my vitamin regimen, which I started about a month ago. I agree with my nutritionist, who thinks that vitamins shouldn't be used in place of food with nutrients. However, because I feel distinctly better, I must have been lacking some of the vitamins I'm now supplementing. I eat at least 2 servings of fruits and a minimum of 2 vegetable servings a day, but perhaps that was not adequate.<br /><br />I have a few food pictures to post, but I'm not sure if the camera app is back on my computer yet. More next week!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-44816915666026646452009-05-06T22:23:00.002-04:002009-05-06T22:28:50.867-04:00Living withoutSorry it's been a while. This will be short because it's late, plus my hard drive is dying and I'm afraid to use my computer too much at this point.<br /><br />I'm on day 10 of a 14 day no wheat, no dairy diet. This is to determine whether I'm allergic to these foods. My nutritionist thinks I could be allergic to something because I've had recurring eczema and sinus issues, plus I retain a lot of water. We'll see. Personally, I don't think it's either of these foods. My symptoms have not improved since I started this diet. But, in general, I have been feeling great for the past few weeks. I credit it to my new vitamin program. I'm taking a multivitamin plus vitamins C, E, and B, as well as chromium, which has had a wonderfully stabilizing effect on my blood sugar. Also, since I started taking the vitamins, I am no longer cold all the time, and I've been sleeping like a log every night.<br /><br />I'll write on the results of the allergy test next week, whenever my computer is back from the shop. More pictures then, too. <br /><br />Man, I am really tired of brown rice at this point.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-10182363577461161352009-04-23T20:45:00.005-04:002009-04-23T21:46:00.163-04:00Getting biblicalA day late because I'm briefly home between trips this week. I just finished the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Optimum-Nutrition-Bible/dp/1580911676/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240536155&sr=8-9">The New Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford</a>. I highly recommend it. It's just so damn rational, for one thing. None of that "how to make a fat-free cupcake" shiz that I can't stand. Tofu is pretty much the most processed food that Holford endorses. But don't think that he's just telling you to eat more vegetables. The book is a very comprehensive guide to vitamins, minerals, and other supplements like Omega-3s. Holford's position is that it's pretty much impossible to achieve optimum nutrition without supplements. He includes a quiz that gives you the vitamins and minerals you need, and recommended dosages.<br /><br />I never was a believer in vitamins, but his evidence is extremely convincing. Most significantly, he talks about an amino acid called homocysteine which is a very accurate predictor of how long you will live. Your homocysteine level can be lowered (which is desirable) by cutting down on caffeine, eating more greens and less meat, and by taking supplements like B vitamins, zinc, and folic acid. <br /><br />I could go on for some time about all of the good info in this book. Here are a few changes I'm making after reading it:<br />1) Renewed dedication to a low glycemic load diet which keeps my blood sugar more stable<br />2) A 2-week regimen of no gluten or dairy (starting Monday!). I have a lot of symptoms of a low-level food allergy, according to the book.<br />3) Taking a multivitamin plus additional vitamin C, B vitamins, chromium (to stabilize blood sugar), and vitamin E.<br /><br />I'm hoping that within a month I'll be free of sugar cravings and that the intermittent eczema on my hands clears up. I've already noticed a large drop in cravings and an increase in energy since I started following a low glycemic diet. Like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katamari_Damacy">Katamari video game</a>, a low glycemic diet builds on itself. By this I mean that when your blood sugar is more even, it's easier to resist bad foods. In Katamari, you're rolling a ball around and gradually picking up larger objects. In other words, the bigger you get, the fewer things stand in your way. How's that for a tortured analogy?<br /><br />In other news, the cafeteria at my government office building put on one heck of an Earth Week celebration. I was dubious, because they put out layer cake as one of the breakfast offerings. Today at lunch, they had a bunch of vendors giving out samples of "green" foods. It was quite a lineup:<br />--Artist <a href="http://www.michaelalbert.com/default.aspx?pageid=1">Michael Albert</a>, who creates cool art and tasty natural juices<br />--Hormone-, antibiotic-, preservative-, and clone-free cheese from <a href="http://www.andrewandeverett.com/home.html">Andrew and Everett</a><br />--Green tea beverages from <a href="http://www.steaz.com">Steaz</a><br />--Various hummus and tofu-based products<br />--And the piece de resistance, <a href="http://www.onestopnatural.com/">One Stop Natural's</a> smorgasbord of delicious vegan snacks and dishes. But there weren't just samples; they were giving away full size containers of everything! I snagged some BBQ tofu which has a delicious smoky flavor and some vegan dumplings.<br /><br />In the elevator, someone commented on how good the food I had looked. I mentioned that they were giveaways from Earth Day. A guy on the elevator said "Oh, EARTH DAY" in the most scornful tone. What's your damage, dude?Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-62230718415057790712009-04-15T20:47:00.003-04:002009-04-15T21:14:04.576-04:00Earth Day= Vegan Day?I saw a story yesterday on a very mainstream news broadcast advocating eating vegan on Earth Day. And I do mean advocating: it was an opinion-style piece rather than news reporting. They mentioned a cafe called <a href="http://www.breadandbrew.com/">Bread and Brew</a> which is <a href="http://www.dinegreen.com/">Green Restaurant Certified</a>. On Earth Day, Bread and Brew will be serving a totally vegan menu. The piece also gave props to another very popular cafe, <a href="http://www.javagreencafe.com">Java Green</a>, which is vegetarian all the time. I hope that this "vegan for a day" idea catches on. The amount of animal products spared will be small, but I think it could be a great step in helping people overcome their fear of veganism. I do enjoy it when people think veganism is a weird cult but will sit down to a meal of spaghetti with a chunky veggie sauce and a green salad, unaware that they're eating vegan. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/dining/15mass.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&ref=todayspaper">This article in today's Times </a>also talks about veganism. Has anyone read Jeffrey Masson's new book? He's a sometime vegan, but probably more frequently than me. <br /><br />What is everyone doing for Earth Day? I plan to eat vegan, even though I'll be en route back from vegan-unfriendly Texas on that day. Yup, I'm taking two round-trip flights the week of Earth Day, although I don't usually fly a lot. <br /><br />I'm exhausted tonight so I'll keep this short. I've been to 3 concerts in 8 days recently, the biggest of which was the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07_h9a-5PRU">men</a> who brought me my blog tag line.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-68833175954841364862009-04-08T11:17:00.008-04:002009-04-08T12:17:23.940-04:00Being mindfulBefore I get to the experiment I've been doing with mindful eating, I have an important question to resolve. Namely: Which is cuter, Tai Shan the baby panda or the new litter of clouded leopard cubs? Please vote in the comments, because I cannot decide.<br /><br />Tai Shan:<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SdzAe-lUAxI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/l3K4Iob-bXc/s1600-h/tai.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SdzAe-lUAxI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/l3K4Iob-bXc/s400/tai.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322340498073191186" /></a><br /><br />Leopards, as yet unnamed:<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SdzAxwO5WyI/AAAAAAAAAmY/5bvysOGUmFc/s1600-h/babyleopard.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 282px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SdzAxwO5WyI/AAAAAAAAAmY/5bvysOGUmFc/s400/babyleopard.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322340820638587682" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SdzGZ3VHp6I/AAAAAAAAAmg/X2aW2Iv_aZg/s1600-h/leopardsleeping.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SdzGZ3VHp6I/AAAAAAAAAmg/X2aW2Iv_aZg/s400/leopardsleeping.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322347007296645026" /></a><br /><br />I've been checking out a few books on mindful eating. I'm working through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Drink-Be-Mindful-Intention/dp/1572246154/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239206228&sr=1-1">"Eat, Drink, and be Mindful,"</a> and on deck I have <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Eating-Rediscovering-Healthy-Relationship/dp/1590305310/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239206179&sr=8-1">"Mindful Eating."</a> I'm reading these on the advice of my nutritionist. See, I'm almost always multi-tasking when I'm eating. I eat breakfast and lunch at my desk most days during the work week. Mr. RV and I often eat dinner in front of the TV. I think these habits are pretty detrimental, since for me (and for most people, I would guess) they often lead to overeating and not feeling satisfied. <br /><br />Experimenting with mindful eating has been a real eye-opener for me. For at least one meal a day, I've been:<br />--Focusing on the way the food smells, looks, and tastes instead of having most of my attention on something else<br />--Eating much more slowly and pausing between bites<br />--Trying to make the meal last 25 minutes (because your body only registers that it's full after 20 minutes, this technique makes it easier to stop eating if you're full before you finish your meal)<br />--Paying attention to the level of hunger or fullness that I'm feeling. I imagine my stomach as a gas tank gradually getting fuller when I'm eating.<br /><br />I think I've been eating less in the week or two that I've been doing this. If I mindfully eat breakfast, I usually don't need a snack before lunch (but if I'm on my computer and scarfing down breakfast, I do). I also really enjoy the pleasure of tasting and eating more than I have in recent memory. I'm happy to have the 25 minutes to clear my mind and not worry about anything further than feeding myself.<br /><br />It's been hard to find the time for this practice, though. I often work out at lunch, so I'm done with my allotted lunch break before I even eat. And I'm waiting to get busted when I disappear from my desk an hour after arriving to go eat breakfast. But it's worth it to enjoy food so much more. If you're a chronic multi-tasker like me, try this and let me know what you think. One downside is that it's harder to ignore bad food. Yesterday, the oatmeal in our cafeteria was watery and like something from Oliver Twist. I couldn't eat more than a few spoonfuls of it, so I had a Probar instead.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-65955929856027684952009-04-01T21:25:00.004-04:002009-04-01T21:56:57.470-04:00Consider the parsnip<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SdQW3hynvQI/AAAAAAAAAlg/aI4nLSP_OfA/s1600-h/parsnip.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SdQW3hynvQI/AAAAAAAAAlg/aI4nLSP_OfA/s400/parsnip.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319902203050704130" /></a><br /><br />This evening on the news we saw a brief interview with Jamie Oliver, who is cooking for the G-20 summit. No pressure, huh? He was saying that if he had a private moment with Obama, he'd tell him to start taxing sugary foods, since Americans eat about 4x as much sugar as they should. I like that idea, but I highly doubt that I'll see a sugar tax in my lifetime. What they <em>should</em> do first is tax meat instead of subsidizing it.<br /><br />Two cooking features this week:<br />1) Parsnip/pear/carrot soup<br />This was part of the first meal I ever made for the Mr. He recollects fondly that it sounded weird, but was good. I think I tried it on a whim, because I had never cooked with parsnips before. I really didn't even know what they were supposed to look like. Well, the picture is above, and they look like overgrown albino carrots. The flavor in this soup is really delicious and creamy, even though it's vegan and impeccably healthy. I think of parsnips as wild carrots flavor-wise. The flavor is sweet, but with an edge. Parsnips also have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsnip">more nutrients than carrots </a>and a heap of potassium. Here's the recipe:<br /><br />1-1/2 cups each of chopped onions, pears, carrots, and parsnips ((peel the last three ingredients first)<br />1 tablespoon vegetable oil<br />1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, allspice or nutmeg, and salt<br />2 teaspoons (packed) brown sugar<br /><br />Heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the chopped things and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the spices and brown sugar and saute for another minute. Add 4 cups water and simmer about 15 minutes, or until everything is very tender. Puree the whole mess in a blender.<br /><br />2) The cake I made for my mom's 60th birthday. This was about 10x more complicated to make than the soup above. It is also not vegan, not by a long shot. But it was freaking great. The cake is an orange cake, with the egg whites whipped separately to keep it light. The filling is a mixture of ricotta cheese with jam, dried fruit, and almonds. The glaze is simply chocolate with a bit of almond extract added. Has anyone ever noticed what a crowd pleaser almond extract is? People love the flavor, even if they can't quite put their finger on it.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SdQZ5SZiWlI/AAAAAAAAAlo/hO4CRS6RP5o/s1600-h/cake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 242px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SdQZ5SZiWlI/AAAAAAAAAlo/hO4CRS6RP5o/s400/cake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319905531813583442" /></a><br /><br />That's all for now. Next week I'll probably write about mindful eating, which seems to be a hot topic lately.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-39287683306426902012009-03-25T10:01:00.004-04:002009-03-25T10:41:42.899-04:00When did having a garden become a radical act?The article in the Sunday NY Times titled <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/business/22food.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=alice%20waters&st=cse">"Is a Food Revolution Now in Season?"</a> has been nagging at me. It describes the recent groundswell of support for organic gardening, improving the nutritional value of school lunches, and a move towards organic, nutritious, and sustainable food in general. Some of my favorite food-activists, like Michael Pollan and Alice Waters, are quoted. So why am I bothered?<br /><br />I think it's because this "revolution" is not so new. Humans, of course, have grown, hunted, or foraged for their own food for almost the entire time we've been around. Organic gardening was the default for all but the last hundred or so years. If you didn't have a sustainable food system, sooner or later you'd run out of food. <br /><br />Mostly, I worry that by labeling organic, sustainable food as a liberal or radical theme, we risk alienating more conservative people (who are usually the group most in need of adding more nutritious foods to their diet). They'll show us! They'll subsist on highly processed corn products! <br /><br />Sometimes I think that blogs like mine are part of the problem, too. Food has become so politicized. There are good reasons for that, because the food system has inflicted great harm on animals and the planet. But nutritious, naturally produced food has an intrinsic appeal. It's much more delicious than the processed, packaged alternatives. You feel physically better after eating it. Food does not need to be so divisive.<br /><br />Moving on...We planted a garden (mostly from seeds, so there's no pictures yet) last weekend for the sheer fun of playing in the dirt. I'm not sure our patio gets enough sunlight for everything to sprout, but we'll see. Truman enjoys the cat grass plant I picked up for him:<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/ScpBOuZrQvI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/uen5T7s7WKE/s1600-h/tru_grass.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/ScpBOuZrQvI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/uen5T7s7WKE/s400/tru_grass.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317134031293989618" /></a><br /><br />I'm sure most of you have read <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032301626.html">this article </a>about new research on the risks of red meat. All of us vegetarians/vegans can hang out together in our old age.<br /><br />Finally, the obligatory food picture, from taco nite. This is becoming a regular thing for us. This week's tacos were based on a mixture of black beans and fake hamburger meat, sauteed with tomato, garlic, onion, and chili powder. Of course avocados play a starring role, too.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/ScpCRA9fgTI/AAAAAAAAAlY/nZ1G-RULjgY/s1600-h/tacos.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/ScpCRA9fgTI/AAAAAAAAAlY/nZ1G-RULjgY/s400/tacos.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317135170147418418" /></a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-37121129031309754572009-03-18T21:57:00.010-04:002009-03-18T22:32:49.160-04:00I am nutty (but healthy)(I've noticed that the posts seem to get truncated in this new blog format. I think you can click on the title of the entry to see the whole thing. Anyway, this post ends with a mention of Morrissey.)<br /><br />I didn't post last week because I was in the grip of the flu. 11 days later, I finally don't scare people when they hear my voice on the phone.<br /><br />I've cooked a few things since last we spoke (I'm hardly ever too sick to cook):<br />--Lentil Soup. This was advertised as "Tibetan" but the spices are not especially exotic. Perhaps it's Tibetan because there are potatoes in it?<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/ScGnicqiiwI/AAAAAAAAAkw/lzbDcao-tZk/s1600-h/soup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 249px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/ScGnicqiiwI/AAAAAAAAAkw/lzbDcao-tZk/s400/soup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314713245525904130" /></a><br /><br />--Curried potato wraps. These are like samosa filling, but with tomatoes. Very tasty.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/ScGoFLPmXyI/AAAAAAAAAlA/OcYoI2tYico/s1600-h/potato.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 393px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/ScGoFLPmXyI/AAAAAAAAAlA/OcYoI2tYico/s400/potato.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314713842144927522" /></a><br /><br />--Portobellos stuffed with a tofu/veggie/breadcrumb/walnut mixture. I've posted this before and it's one of my favorites. It reheats very well.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/ScGod9rGlgI/AAAAAAAAAlI/-qNxrBnWgdU/s1600-h/mushroom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/ScGod9rGlgI/AAAAAAAAAlI/-qNxrBnWgdU/s400/mushroom.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314714267998918146" /></a><br /><br />I'm excited today because I received my (huge) order from <a href="http://www.nutsonline.com">Nuts Online</a>. I love <a href="http://myorganicmarket.com">our grocery store </a>but their nut selection is spotty (probably because they only carry organic food and I imagine they're having supply problems with organic nuts). But I eat nuts every morning on oatmeal or yogurt, so I hate running out. The nuts I got in the mail are cheaper than the grocery store, and more importantly, they are large, beautiful, fresh, and so delicious. Yum. Nuts Online also sends an amusing email when your order has been delivered:<br /><br /><em>"Hip hip hooray! Hey there nutty Amy! According to the galactic delivery<br />powers that be (aka UPS), your order has been delivered. Yippee! We<br />certainly hope it deliciously smashes your expectations with enough force<br />to crack a macadamia nut in the shell!!!"</em><br /><br />Moving on...has anyone read this month's issue of <a href="http://www.motherjones.com">Mother Jones</a>? It's food-themed and it's great. The <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/interview/2009/02/michael-pollan-fixes-dinner">article with Michael Pollan </a>alone would have made me buy it. But my favorite article is about <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2009/03/foodie-beware">farmers' markets</a>, and the sad trend towards overrunning them with soap makers and the like. It seems that not enough people will go to a farmers' market just to shop for produce. Sufficient crowds will come only if the market adopts a carnival-esque atmosphere, with a coffee stand and a candy maker. Also, some of the vendors can be large grocery store employees ("large" is modifying "store" here) and not actual farmers. I don't think it's wrong, on the face of it, to include non-food vendors in farmers' markets. But as the crowds swell, demand rises to a level that small farmers can't compete with. Then the grocery stores set up ersatz stands and the whole point of a farmers' market is lost. It's a complex problem without an easy answer, and I hope you'll read the article and let me know your thoughts. I feel fortunate that the (very small) farmers' market outside my office on Tuesdays only has two produce stands, but they're staffed by actual farmers who can answer any question about their produce, and tell you what they'll have next week. It should open for the season next month and I can't wait.<br /><br />I roused myself from my sickbed on Saturday to see one of my favorite vegetarians ever, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morrissey">Morrissey</a>. Peta had a stand at the concert and a postcard featuring Morrissey (and titled with Mr. RV's favorite Smiths album. Mine, if you are curious, is Strangeways. It's not usually as critically acclaimed, but it was the first album of theirs that I ever heard so I'll always have a sentimental attachment to it).Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-44539635143988288022009-03-04T22:35:00.003-05:002009-03-04T22:47:21.711-05:00And miles to go before I sleep<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/Sa9ItluMj_I/AAAAAAAAAko/XlwtqQe_2uA/s1600-h/buddha.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/Sa9ItluMj_I/AAAAAAAAAko/XlwtqQe_2uA/s400/buddha.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309542433750290418" /></a><br /><br />This is one of those weeks where blogging takes a backseat. We had a large snowstorm (for the area), and our heat pump is not nearly keeping up with the demands placed upon it. It does not help when the repair company fails to show up on the only day I can be home for them all week.<br /><br />My main food-related concern this week has been how to keep my eczema in check. I was sick last week, and have still been feeling a bit weak and under the weather. I'm not sure if the illness and eczema are related (common thread=inflammation?), but I'm trying to consume as much Omega-3 as possible. This means a lot of fish and fish oil supplements. It does seem to provide some relief. I'm still trying to work out if these symptoms are all related to candida or not.<br /><br />Obviously I need to get some sleep to be more coherent. See you next week!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-621064109752623402009-02-25T19:00:00.013-05:002009-02-25T19:24:59.496-05:00Single LadiesMr. RV is away for a few days. (He is sending me desparate text messages from the land of soft rock and bad Chinese food, otherwise known as a retirement community in Florida.) When I'm cooking for myself, I like to make delicate, light food. But you serve a guy a dainty salad and bruschetta for dinner and he's like, that was a good appetizer, but where is the main course?<br /><br />Tonight I made sushi (and am working on tomato-chard-barley soup to go with it). Please do not laugh at my sushi. This is my first time ever making it. I highly doubt I used the proper Japanese technique, but it came out tasty regardless.<br /><br />First, I julienned a bunch of stuff: scallions, carrots, baked tofu, and cream cheese (easily omitted, but I had some leftover from last week's blueberry tart).<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXc-dhoxwI/AAAAAAAAAjY/feDiZH1WGiw/s1600-h/julienne.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXc-dhoxwI/AAAAAAAAAjY/feDiZH1WGiw/s400/julienne.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306890701561710338" /></a><br /><br />Then I set out my mat with seaweed, brown rice seasoned with a little vinegar and sugar, and julienned stuff on top.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXdPQ9W7pI/AAAAAAAAAjg/Vc_JiV4xKm0/s1600-h/mat.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXdPQ9W7pI/AAAAAAAAAjg/Vc_JiV4xKm0/s400/mat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306890990246096530" /></a><br /><br />Next, I realized my seaweed was oriented wrong, and very carefully flipped it (and added the cream cheese). <br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXdphZ4QRI/AAAAAAAAAjo/lDTSYkLXkfw/s1600-h/mat2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXdphZ4QRI/AAAAAAAAAjo/lDTSYkLXkfw/s400/mat2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306891441337286930" /></a><br /><br />Then, er, long story short, I huffed and puffed and rolled up the sushi, and cut it into slices.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXd8FsslZI/AAAAAAAAAjw/B7S6UNm6pu8/s1600-h/sushi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXd8FsslZI/AAAAAAAAAjw/B7S6UNm6pu8/s400/sushi.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306891760317535634" /></a><br /><br />Et voila! Next, I might try the spicy tempeh roll recipe from Veganomicon. I just didn't have the patience to steam the tempeh tonight.<br /><br />I've just returned from a few days in Austin, where I stayed at at a <a href="http://parklaneguesthouse.com/">great vegetarian B&B</a>. Here are two breakfasts:<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXelhIKthI/AAAAAAAAAj4/ToRPOJG-7Pc/s1600-h/bfast1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 238px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXelhIKthI/AAAAAAAAAj4/ToRPOJG-7Pc/s400/bfast1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306892472055150098" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXewsoalSI/AAAAAAAAAkA/UIwJWf4UQfE/s1600-h/bfast2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXewsoalSI/AAAAAAAAAkA/UIwJWf4UQfE/s400/bfast2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306892664121759010" /></a><br /><br />I loved the breakfast/diner culture in Austin, and the spicy southwestern food, like this homemade salsa sampler at the <a href="http://www.southcongresscafe.com/">South Congress Cafe</a>:<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXfBcZOaKI/AAAAAAAAAkI/iz47I892LC4/s1600-h/salsas.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXfBcZOaKI/AAAAAAAAAkI/iz47I892LC4/s400/salsas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306892951820855458" /></a><br /><br />And you've gotta love a trailer repurposed as a <a href="http://www.heycupcake.com/">cupcake stand</a>! They even had vegan cupcakes!<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXfXlJnJWI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/ChbNoLfDhc0/s1600-h/cupcake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXfXlJnJWI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/ChbNoLfDhc0/s400/cupcake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306893332128408930" /></a><br /><br />I've gotta get back to the soup, but I'll close with a picture of an unexpected visitor to my office last week. In the past 6-ish months, we've had George W. Shrub, the pope, and this visitor come. Needless to say, they saved the best for last!<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXgAf_LvzI/AAAAAAAAAkY/HOOujTFmUr8/s1600-h/mo1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 340px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SaXgAf_LvzI/AAAAAAAAAkY/HOOujTFmUr8/s400/mo1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306894035117129522" /></a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-18968857411939395412009-02-18T18:41:00.005-05:002009-02-18T21:22:06.184-05:00Gimme some sugarA new look for the blog, and time for the first Wednesday update. First, sweet things.<br /><br />1. Blueberry-cream cheese tart<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SZy7TTVGkeI/AAAAAAAAAi8/OOizreV2iO4/s1600-h/tart.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SZy7TTVGkeI/AAAAAAAAAi8/OOizreV2iO4/s400/tart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304320401416294882" /></a><br /><br />I made this for Valentine's Day. I've been trying my best to limit my sugar intake and the tart only has about 1/3 cup sugar in the whole thing. The recipe is from the Greens cookbook by Deborah Madison. Her recipes come out great, but boy, are they complicated. She has meticulous notes about technique, many of which I disregard. The base of this tart was a mixture of cream cheese and sour cream with lemon and a dash of sugar. I think you could use tofu cream cheese, maybe thinned with a little soy milk, as a good substitute. <br /><br />2. Rice krispie treats<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SZy8I2U7xWI/AAAAAAAAAjE/LFsJ6oHOD90/s1600-h/rk_treats.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SZy8I2U7xWI/AAAAAAAAAjE/LFsJ6oHOD90/s400/rk_treats.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304321321343894882" /></a><br /><br />By the time I remembered to take a picture of these, only two were left. As I said before, they use no refined sugar, yet the texture is exactly like traditional RK treats. The flavor is also the same, with a hint of nut butter. Here is the recipe, via my awesome nutritionist:<br /><br />1 box rice krispie cereal (brown rice krispies if you can find them)<br />1 1/3 cups brown rice syrup, or a mixture of rice syrup and barley malt syrup<br />½ Cup almond, peanut, or cashew butter<br />1/2 Cup coarsely chopped toasted almonds<br />1/2 Cup chopped dried fruit<br /><br />Pour cereal into large bowl, add fruit and nuts. Bring rice syrup (or barley malt syrup) and nut butter to a boil. Cook for a few minutes. Pour over cereal mixture, mix, pour into a 9x13 inch pan lined with parchment paper. Moisten hands with cold water and pat to compact.<br /><br />3. My dietary journey<br />I started going to a nutritionist a few months ago. My goal was to take a fresh look at my dietary habits, and hopefully drop a few pounds along the way. We discovered the problems I experience are probably due to fluctuating blood sugar. I had to face the fact that my system is <em>very</em> sensitive to caffeine and sugar. Along the way, I:<br /> --read The Low GI Diet by Patrick Holford. It's a great eating plan that's easy enough to do over the long term. It's also quite vegetarian-friendly.<br /> --gave up all sugar and caffeine for two weeks. This was hard but got easier after the first few days.<br /> --started paying more attention to signs of fluctuating blood sugar, and planned five small meals a day.<br /> --decided to eat sweets only on Saturday.<br /><br />4. Candida<br />My nutritionist thinks I probably have a problem with high levels of candida albicans. I have many symptoms that point to this, such as lethargy, "brain fog," recurring fungal skin infections, a nose like a bloodhound (seriously, an acute sense of smell is one of the symptoms), and mood swings. Strangely, though, I don't have the problem you'd most associate with women and yeast.<br /><br />I probably got my candida levels out of whack when I lived in Africa and took an antibiotic every day for two years as an anti-malarial. Broad-spectrum antibiotic use is the most common cause of candida problems. But the <a href="http://www.indiana.edu/~primate/lariam.html">other medicine </a>available made me feel like I was going crazy and has a few class action lawsuits against it, so there you go.<br /><br />If you're interested in taking a candida diagnostic questionnaire, there's one <a href="http://www.soulhealer.com/yeast.htm">here</a>.<br /><br />The treatment for candida is a very restrictive diet. As you might guess, it does not involve a lot of desserts. I'll write up my experience with that in the next post.<br /><br />Also, I'll try to get the other recipes people requested up next week. But between now and then I'm going on a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin,_Texas">mini-vacation</a>!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-67008274419960541052009-02-16T17:34:00.008-05:002009-02-16T18:11:20.372-05:00Hey na, hey na, my blog is backIf you're like me, maybe you wonder briefly what happened to a blogger who's been off-air for a while. What's she up to? Is she okay? Doesn't she care about my blog-surfing fulfillment?<br /><br />In my case, it was a matter of equal parts busy-ness and lazyness. I last wrote in early November. We bought a house around that time and moved in late November. A bunch of home projects (including blood-pressure-raising interactions with Ikea) and running a household of two people and one demanding cat has kept me busier than usual. I've been taking pictures and notes for blog entries, but keeping the blog current has been low on my priority list.<br /><br />However, I enjoy blogging and I definitely enjoy reading other blogs. As I mentioned earlier, I came to the conclusion that being vegan isn't the right thing for me. About half my meals are vegan but I'm concentrating now on a low glycemic index diet. I have very delicate blood sugar and it seems to be helping. More on that later. Some of the recipes/pictures I'll be posting are not vegan, but if possible I'll include vegan substitutions.<br /><br />Here is a montage, if you will, of food-related highlights of the past 3 months. I think from here on out I'll try to blog on Wednesdays, starting with this Wednesday.<br /><br />1. Couscous and a minor celebrity<br />I'm a big fan of <a href="http://www.couscous900.com/">Couscous restaurant </a>in Richmond. Pictured below is their amazing "mock chicken" tagine. I am weeping with longing for it now. (I live about 1.5 hours drive from Richmond.) <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SZntEM7PGYI/AAAAAAAAAig/uqQOa-xJ3Y0/s1600-h/tagines.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 230px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SZntEM7PGYI/AAAAAAAAAig/uqQOa-xJ3Y0/s400/tagines.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303530692650408322" /></a><br /><br />While we were there, the woman in the Room Store commercials walked in! This is probably only of interest to local people, but in the (oft-broadcast) commercials, she's pixielike and so perky you want to stuff her in a credenza. At Couscous, though, she looked hip and fun. I wanted to send her over a drink, but chickened out. (Our waitress confirmed that it was her, though.)<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SZntm0Dy8yI/AAAAAAAAAio/Wizcxg3SyiI/s1600-h/roomstore1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 284px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SZntm0Dy8yI/AAAAAAAAAio/Wizcxg3SyiI/s400/roomstore1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303531287270847266" /></a><br /><br />2. Another couscous dinner<br />Made this lovely vegan dish this week. Flanking the couscous are "tofu steaks" by <a href="http://www.helensfoods.com/basics.shtml">Helen's Kitchen</a>, which I highly recommend.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SZnvuAt7yII/AAAAAAAAAiw/iohO25Ctg7k/s1600-h/IMG_0183.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SZnvuAt7yII/AAAAAAAAAiw/iohO25Ctg7k/s400/IMG_0183.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303533609951152258" /></a><br /><br />3. More new dishes<br />My nutritionist (another topic I'll revisit) came up with two great snack ideas for me. One is brown rice balls with umeboshi plums, wrapped in seaweed, and the other was rice krispie treats made without refined sugar. Believe it or not, they taste almost exactly the same as the sugar-packed ones. I'll post those recipes later if anyone's interested.<br /><br />4. An offer you can't refuse<br />This is actually what prompted me to blog today: reading about an initiative by Anti records to donate money to an animal society for every blog who posts the video to a Neko Case song. Sadly, the offer expired February 3. But <a href="http://www.antilabelblog.com/?p=1301">check out the details </a>anyway. It's a great idea.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-79476284839228824032008-11-09T20:14:00.004-05:002008-11-09T21:14:26.933-05:00Barbara brings it<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SReNMap619I/AAAAAAAAAhk/J2OL_Q4vDnU/s1600-h/barbara_ehrenreich_0707.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 360px; height: 235px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SReNMap619I/AAAAAAAAAhk/J2OL_Q4vDnU/s400/barbara_ehrenreich_0707.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266833533686175698" /></a><br />We spent the day at the Green Festival, which I look forward to more keenly than Christmas. The festival was huge and mobbed; a good sign. This year, I was impressed by the growth of the home and building material sections. Some of my favorite booths were:<br />--<a href="http://www.kallari.com/chocolate.html">Kallari chocolate </a>(I have been a fan of this stuff since I discovered them at the Green Festival two years ago. With great difficulty, I tracked down a supplier and now I order this chocolate in bulk by mail. It is the best that I have ever had, and believe me, the sample size of my unscientific study is large!)<br />--<a href="http://www.organiccomfortzone.com/">Organic Comfort Zone</a>, where we bought two pillows. I wish we could afford one of their beds, sigh.<br />--The <a href="http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/">Animal Welfare Approved </a>booth. This nonprofit certifies that animal products originate from animals that have been raised humanely. It's kind of like the Organic certification, except that farmers do not have to pay for it. It's funded by an anonymous donor (here is <a href="http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa312/windinthewires__/morrissey.jpg">my guess</a> as to the donor's identity). That strikes me as a great idea because it seems to remove pressure to "pass" the farm. My feelings about this certification in general are mixed because it seems to condone eating meat as long as the animal was raised humanely. However, I know that most people eat meat, and this could be an important step in "humanizing" animals, which may lead to decreased animal product consumption. Your thoughts?<br /><br />We saw two great speakers at the festival: Barbara Ehrenreich and Mr. RV's personal guru, Seth Goldman of Honest Tea. (One of our most contentious marital issues is Mr. RV's addiction to Honest Tea and my position that "You can make those for 15 cents each! Paying two bucks a bottle is ridiculous!") Barbara delivered a great speech, speaking about the need to remember green concerns in the midst of our economic upheaval. One point struck me in particular: she said that she notices a movement of "eco-puritanism," which tells people to give up pleasurable things, like car trips and hamburgers (to use her examples). She said that this is not going to work because few people will voluntarily deny themselves habitual pleasures. Instead, we should find a way to express that "less stuff does not have to equal less pleasure." Sometimes I scoff at the green movement for all of the hundreds of unnecessary products labeled as green. Basically, I think that instead of buying a new set of recycled glass dinnerware, you should just use the plates you already have, or pick up some at a thrift store. But I can see how green versions of certain luxuries can stop people from feeling deprived and encourage them to research "going green" a little more.<br /><br />By the way, check out Barbara's hilarious <a href="http://ehrenreich.blogs.com/barbaras_blog/2008/10/report-from-the-socialist-international-conspiracy.html">blog post on the Socialist Conspiracy</a>. An excerpt:<br /><br /><em>"So we decided to suspend our usual work of standing on street corners and hissing, "Hey, how'd you like to live in a workers' paradise?” Instead of building socialism, one worker at a time, we would focus on destroying capitalism, hedge fund by hedge fund.<br /><br />First, we selected a cadre of crusty punks from the streets of Seattle, stripped off their Che t-shirts, suited them up in Armani's and wingtips, and introduced them to the concepts of derivatives and dental floss. Then we shipped them to Wall Street with firm instructions: Make as much money as you can, as fast as you can, and as soon as the money starts rolling in, send it out to make more money by whatever dodgy means you can find – subprime loans, credit default swaps, pyramid schemes – anything goes. And oh yes: Spend your own earnings in the most flamboyantly gross ways you can think of -- $10,000 martinis, fountains of champagne – so as to fan the flames of class resentment."</em>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-68143106666881062202008-11-05T21:32:00.006-05:002008-11-05T21:56:02.631-05:00Victor(y) is sweet<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SRJXojZtiII/AAAAAAAAAhE/ptngbE7xItg/s1600-h/victor.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SRJXojZtiII/AAAAAAAAAhE/ptngbE7xItg/s400/victor.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265367268558997634" /></a><br /><br />Time flies, huh? I'm sure I'm not the only blogger who was moved to write today after a long absence. I watched Obama win at a friend's house in DC last night. When we'd finished cheering, we heard a great noise coming from outside. Turns out the noise was the beginning of a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2008/11/05/VI2008110500782.html?hpid=topnews">massive street party</a>. We actually didn't know where the core of it was, but we saw plenty of ecstatic, honkin', whoopin' and hollerin' people on our way home. I've never seen anything like it, except on New Year's Eve, but this went on for hours instead of minutes.<br /><br />What's up with the pig? I saw it in the window of an antique shop a few weeks ago and have had my eye on it since. Mr. RV and I decided that if Obama won, the pig was coming home with us. Today I picked him up. His name? Victor, of course. <br /><br />We're moving in a few weeks and I haven't had much time to blog these days. Also, while I still seek out vegan recipes, many things I make are not vegan. I'm working with a nutritionist to try and get my blood sugar issues under control and ruling out dairy, fish and eggs just makes it ten times harder for me. I'll probably only write about vegan food, which is still a great interest of mine, but I needed to say that in the interest of full disclosure. I'll also be going on a yeast-eradicating diet in January, which will be the topic of another post. Taking antibiotics every day for two years as an antimalarial really messed up my system in ways that I am just now beginning to grasp. Until my next post, here are a few pictures from our honeymoon in Bermuda:<br /><br />Tofu strudel (delicious!) <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SRJb9hDS7mI/AAAAAAAAAhM/uLei9tCMkMY/s1600-h/cruisestrudel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SRJb9hDS7mI/AAAAAAAAAhM/uLei9tCMkMY/s320/cruisestrudel.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265372026751872610" /></a><br /><br />The best Mussaman curry I've ever had. Yes, that is a whole cinnamon stick in there:<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SRJcKUixv4I/AAAAAAAAAhU/A-jDixHISAY/s1600-h/cruisecurry.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SRJcKUixv4I/AAAAAAAAAhU/A-jDixHISAY/s320/cruisecurry.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265372246732554114" /></a><br /><br />One of the locals:<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SRJcg1NJhDI/AAAAAAAAAhc/bKo2Dohabbo/s1600-h/cruisefrog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SRJcg1NJhDI/AAAAAAAAAhc/bKo2Dohabbo/s320/cruisefrog.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265372633457329202" /></a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-61812427908938176312008-09-26T18:40:00.005-04:002008-09-26T18:50:44.061-04:00Catching upWell, we're off to sail the high seas just hours from now. I'm sure cruise ship food will be an adventure in itself. One of our wedding presents was a new camera so I'm eager to put it to the test. I also gave Mr. RV a <a href="http://www.theflip.com/products_flip_ultra.shtml">teeny video camera </a>as a wedding present, so maybe some videos will eventually find their way onto this site. Meanwhile, here are a few dishes I photographed but didn't get a chance to blog about while the wedding planning was in high gear.<br /><br />A tasty midsummer bulghur salad. I wanted to do something different from tabouli. This has grapes, pecans, cucumbers, red onions, and red peppers. I think the dressing was a simple lemon juice/olive oil vinaigrette.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SN1lm7MqKOI/AAAAAAAAAXc/wMR7dQOlNUk/s1600-h/bulghur_salad.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SN1lm7MqKOI/AAAAAAAAAXc/wMR7dQOlNUk/s400/bulghur_salad.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250464459984087266" /></a><br /><br />Roasted vegetable napoleons. I made these for dinner with a friend after seeing their deliciousness on <a href="http://veganyumyum.com/">Vegan Yum Yum</a>. They were very time-consuming to make, but came out very flavorful. The stuff sticking them together is a variation on baba ghanouj. The paste didn't turn out too great. I would make these again, but I'd slice the veggies more thickly and I'd probably use a silken tofu concoction between the layers. Don't they look like some kind of space colony in this picture?<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SN1nA3-iWYI/AAAAAAAAAXk/vIQCl1pesxA/s1600-h/napoleons.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SN1nA3-iWYI/AAAAAAAAAXk/vIQCl1pesxA/s400/napoleons.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250466005307775362" /></a><br /><br />I've got to get packing, literally!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-6549774111920631502008-09-22T21:13:00.009-04:002008-09-26T18:40:06.313-04:00My descent into respectability<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SNhF9LYJP2I/AAAAAAAAAWs/3Mw55im5Nfo/s1600-h/missed_kiss.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SNhF9LYJP2I/AAAAAAAAAWs/3Mw55im5Nfo/s400/missed_kiss.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249022283028709218" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SNhGY4EOc1I/AAAAAAAAAW8/ZhAf-0TlgrQ/s1600-h/me_and_mom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SNhGY4EOc1I/AAAAAAAAAW8/ZhAf-0TlgrQ/s400/me_and_mom.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249022758881227602" /></a><br /><br />Readers, are you out there? I am back, at least for this week. Our wedding is a wrap and the honeymoon starts on Saturday. The wedding was truly perfect, despite being married in the second worst storm (the remnants of Hurricane Hanna) to hit this area in at least the past 6 years. I’ve put a few pictures of me and HS* up but will replace them with pictures of just me in a few days, since HS is a bit wary of Internet-posted photos. The quality of the pictures should improve when I replace them, since these are just snaps taken by tipsy people, not the real photos from our pro photog friend.<br /> <br />Here are some ecologically-friendly aspects of our wedding:<br />--We had it in a neighborhood that is extremely walkable and well-served by public transportation.<br />--The location for both the ceremony and the luncheon was America’s first certified organic restaurant. Of course, vegan alternatives were available for all courses!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SNhGwsPjHyI/AAAAAAAAAXU/-kGATmvW1Sk/s1600-h/risotto.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SNhGwsPjHyI/AAAAAAAAAXU/-kGATmvW1Sk/s400/risotto.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249023168024354594" /></a><br />(Non-vegan risotto; vegan version did not have parmesan thingy on top)<br /><br />--About 90% of our wedding-related expenditures went to independent businesses. <br />--We did away with many of the wedding trappings that we didn’t care about. There was no wedding cake, nor special ceremonial wedding cake knife with its own corsage. I made the centerpieces for about $100 total. Needless to say, there was no bouquet toss or garter removal. There was a classical guitarist instead of a DJ, and the only dancing was a conga line to “White Wedding” for our exit.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SNhGoZga5-I/AAAAAAAAAXM/-HtLksAkNSw/s1600-h/centerpieces.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SNhGoZga5-I/AAAAAAAAAXM/-HtLksAkNSw/s400/centerpieces.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249023025555892194" /></a><br />(Classy friends, cheap centerpieces)<br /><br />--I hope to be able to wear my wedding dress again, and I asked my two bridesmaids to buy any dress that they would wear again.<br />--We kept the guest list to 50 people (fewer guests=less travel and less emissions).<br />--We didn’t register, because we really have everything that we need for our new place.<br />--Our rings are recycled gold.<br />--No limousines were deployed. (I had hoped to make our exit on a tandem bicycle, but the rain definitely prevented that from happening.)<br /> <br />We knew we wanted to do things our way for the wedding, and not follow the path of “traditional” weddings. (I put that in quotes since I think the traditional American wedding is really cake and punch in a church rec room or the bride’s parents’ house, not the 40K affairs now called traditional.) It was difficult to swim against the Wedding Industrial Complex current at times, but we are both extremely happy we stuck to our guns and had the small, nonreligious, intimate wedding that we desired. <br /> <br />Hopefully I’ll have the chance to blog again before we leave for the honeymoon. I’ve got a few pictures and many health-related thoughts to share.<br /><br /><em>*HS will now be known as Mr. RV.</em><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SNhGfDP5i-I/AAAAAAAAAXE/w8hH35BPdKg/s1600-h/into_you.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SNhGfDP5i-I/AAAAAAAAAXE/w8hH35BPdKg/s400/into_you.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249022864962194402" /></a><br />(At the afterparty)Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-13636050641120895522008-09-04T17:42:00.007-04:002008-09-04T18:10:50.557-04:00Reflection<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SMBWhVlBzbI/AAAAAAAAAWU/w0d7lIZKsdM/s1600-h/lighthouse.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SMBWhVlBzbI/AAAAAAAAAWU/w0d7lIZKsdM/s400/lighthouse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242285096987381170" /></a><br /><br />It's not much of a lighthouse; it looks like a small farmhouse with a light instead of a chimney. The massive highway construction project that has spanned 10 years so far and cost 2.5 billion dollars turned all the land surrounding it into an asphalt wasteland but spared the small park around the lighthouse. I walked under the highway overpass in the blazing sun today to pay my respects.<br /><br />The lighthouse was owned by <a href="http://www.historypoint.org/columns2.asp?column_id=713&column_type=hpfeature">Margaret Brent </a>in the seventeenth century. The inscription reads, "An extraordinary woman, she spent most of her adult life fighting discrimination of her sex." She was a land baron as well as a litigator, and people were often stunned at her very unladylike ways.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SMBZSx1lhvI/AAAAAAAAAWc/dN57Scdb02M/s1600-h/inscription.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SMBZSx1lhvI/AAAAAAAAAWc/dN57Scdb02M/s400/inscription.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242288145409869554" /></a><br /><br />Our rapidly approaching wedding has made me reflective. I am grateful to Margaret and everyone else who fought for gender equality so that I can marry the person I love, not the one who will support me or the one my family has chosen. I left Margaret flowers in gratitude. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SMBZjTirEKI/AAAAAAAAAWk/NKP1b_Gehvs/s1600-h/flowers1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SMBZjTirEKI/AAAAAAAAAWk/NKP1b_Gehvs/s400/flowers1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242288429335253154" /></a><br /><br />Margaret must sometimes have been discouraged by the enormity of the fight towards gender equality. 400 years later, sexism still exists, and attitudes towards animal rights, resource consumption, and the environment frustrate me on at least a weekly basis. However, I told Margaret her work was worth it, and I hope that ours is too.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-24159610457057494442008-08-07T21:28:00.003-04:002008-08-07T21:56:22.749-04:00Time for a blog-cation<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SJui3yyhApI/AAAAAAAAAVs/8WFrL8nzr-I/s1600-h/fiji.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SJui3yyhApI/AAAAAAAAAVs/8WFrL8nzr-I/s400/fiji.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231954471531119250" /></a><br /><br />Oh, how I wish I was in Fiji right now. But I am not. If it isn't already obvious, I haven't had much time to write or read blogs lately. I'm going to take a blog-cation until mid-September, when I'll be back in good form with lots of inspiration (hopefully). Enjoy the rest of your summer (or winter if you're part of the Southern Hemisphere contingent)!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-6905113764478717532008-07-11T22:16:00.004-04:002008-07-11T22:33:21.479-04:00Tagine and teeth<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SHgULTR-qXI/AAAAAAAAAVk/0tOKDZiERH8/s1600-h/tagine2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SHgULTR-qXI/AAAAAAAAAVk/0tOKDZiERH8/s400/tagine2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221945952322890098" /></a><br /><br />This week I went to the dentist. My insurance plan allows me to go to what I think is the cheapest 10% of dentists in the area. This dentist is on the edge of a transitional neighborhood, in a basement office. He accepts walk-ins. My appointment was rescheduled because (I think) he forgot to pay the phone bill and the line was disconnected for a few days. But he is a character with lots of colorful stories and he swears like a sailor.<br /><br />While he was examining me, he abruptly asked, "Are you a vegetarian?" When I asked how he knew, he said, "It's because your back teeth are worn down." He went on to say that cellulose (plant walls) wears down tooth enamel, but that steaming or sauteing vegetables will break down the cellulose enough for teeth to handle it. (So, this pointed to me eating a lot of raw vegetables, not necessarily to me being a vegetarian.) <br /><br />Is this true or just another of my dentist's tall tales? All I've found is <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0820/is_n219/ai_17434380">one article </a>that says it probably isn't true, although eating citrus fruits isn't especially good for your teeth. I don't eat that much citrus, but I do eat a lot of raw vegetables. I like my veggies crunchy, and I think the nutrients I get from them are more important than some wear and tear on my teeth.<br /><br />On a completely unrelated topic, I'm going to a potluck tomorrow where the theme is "Mediterranean Vegetarian." I'm bringing <a href="http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/7553">tofu tagine </a>(pictured). This recipe is awesome. It won a Vegetarian Times reader recipe contest about 8 years ago and I've been making it ever since. It's somewhat time-consuming but totally worth it. Fried tofu is simmered in a sauce with savory spices, cinnamon, onions, garlic, lemon, and honey (I subbed maple syrup). It's served with couscous that also has a salty, lemony flavor, in addition to mint and dried fruit. Then the whole mess is sprinkled with toasted almonds. The flavor is complex and unusual. Let me know if you try it!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-27663832596764428252008-07-06T21:59:00.001-04:002008-07-06T21:59:33.774-04:00When natural isn't better<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SHF0ekanGpI/AAAAAAAAAVc/lJQ16O1U9Vc/s1600-h/sandalwood.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SHF0ekanGpI/AAAAAAAAAVc/lJQ16O1U9Vc/s400/sandalwood.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220081511619304082" /></a><br /><br />I just got back from the vegetarian/vegan Mecca, NYC. We had great meals at <a href="http://www.angelicakitchen.com/">Angelica Kitchen</a>, <a href="http://www.redbamboo-nyc.com/">Red Bamboo</a>, and <a href="http://www.twoboots.com/TW2008/Blkr08/Blkr1.html">Two Boots Pizza</a>. I can highly recommend all eateries. I'd wanted to try Angelica for several years and it did not disappoint. I had soup and a salad and HS had a seitan burrito. Red Bamboo has an extensive ecletic menu. This time we both had seitan; a sandwich and a skewer plate. Two Boots is my new favorite pizzeria, and they have a hearty vegan slice. They just need to put their jalapeno pesto on it (not really a pesto, more of a puree, and I'm sure it's vegan) and it would be perfect.<br /><br />I have a letter to the editor in <a href="http://www.naturalhealthmag.com/index">Natural Health magazine </a>this month. My letter is in response to an article about sustainable sandalwood products. I say that sandalwood has been pushed to the <a href="http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080055131&ch=7/1/2008%2012:51:00%20AM">verge of extinction </a>due to the perfume industry, and that it's better to buy products with synthetic sandalwood, which smells exactly the same but uses only a fraction of the resources that sandalwood tree production (sustainable or not) does. It's important to replant sandalwood, of course, but I think it's a mistake to always prefer "natural" scents. In some cases it takes a <em>ton</em> of flowers, leaves, etc. to produce a gallon of essential oil. It just reminds me a bit too much of meat production in its resources in/ product out ratio.<br /><br />Another way that I don't prefer natural is in regards to sweeteners. Actually, just one sweetener, agave. I figured out a few years ago (it involved tequila; don't ask) that I'm violently allergic to cactus derivatives. I can stay away from tequila but agave is more pernicious, often masquerading as a "natural sweetener." It rules out a lot of energy bars or vegan sweets for me. I'm writing about it because there is next to nothing on the 'net about agave allergies/reactions. (My reaction is horrendous stomach pains.) If you know anyone who's also allergic to agave, holla back so I know I'm not alone!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-82052117562430363632008-07-01T20:26:00.005-04:002008-07-02T15:01:22.767-04:00Taco time<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SGrLyGrre5I/AAAAAAAAAVM/loQizPonFpc/s1600-h/tacos.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SGrLyGrre5I/AAAAAAAAAVM/loQizPonFpc/s400/tacos.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218207179909856146" /></a><br /><br />I am woefully late in posting about this yummy dinner. What can I say? I've been busy with work, more work, wedding stuff, and trying to determine which of these is the better rhyme:<br />1) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wqfcwgT0Ds">abuse me/ muesli</a><br />2) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jzSh_MLNcY">on ya/ Apollonia</a><br />(if you have an opinion, let me know!)<br /><br />Anyway, one of my favorite vegan (or vegan-friendly) meals for guests is make-your-own tacos. It sure uses a lot of bowls but seems to satisfy all tastes. The picture above shows chipotle brown rice, avocado-corn salsa, <a href="http://www.yvesveggie.com/products/detail.php/meatless-ground-round-original">Yves fake meat </a>with tomatoes, onions, and chili powder, as well as soy cheese, lettuce, beans, etc. Although I'm not particularly drawn to meat substitutes, Yves is my favorite of the type. It tastes good and is filling, yet is freakishly low in fat and high in protein.<br /><br />I wish I had gotten some pictures of the actual tacos people made but that's a good reason to have Taco Nite again. For dessert, we had mango-strawberry cobbler. This picture came out terribly blurry but it's all I had. I only remembered to take it the next day when the cobbler was nearly gone.<br /><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SGrO7wnJoLI/AAAAAAAAAVU/NHyRU0HPdA4/s1600-h/dessert.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SGrO7wnJoLI/AAAAAAAAAVU/NHyRU0HPdA4/s400/dessert.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218210644318855346" /></a><br /><br />This cobbler is no ordinary dessert, at least not to me. A friend once described it as one of the best desserts he'd ever had. The secret is cardamom. I know, a container of it costs 7 bucks or more, but it is essential in this recipe. If you omit it, all bets are off. (Note that the recipe requires ground cardamom. If you buy the kind in the pods, you'll have to grind the seeds first.) Here is the recipe, heavily adapted enough <em>(one might say cobbled)</em> that I don't feel bad about sharing it:<br /><br />Mango-Strawberry Cobbler<br /><br />Fruit Layer<br />2 mangoes<br />1-1/2 pints fresh strawberries (about 4 cups, chopped)<br />1/3 cup packed brown sugar<br />1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<br />1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom<br />3 tablespoons flour<br /><br />Peel the mangoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Wash, remove the stems, and chop the strawberries into halves or quarters. In a bowl, mix together all fruit-layer dry ingredients. Add the fruit to the bowl and toss to coat.<br /><br />Topping<br />1-1/2 cups flour<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />2 teaspoons baking powder<br />2 tablespoons white sugar<br />1/4 cup oil<br />1 cup "milk"<br /><br />Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Add the oil and milk and stir together until just combined. Place the fruit-layer mixture in a 8" square pan (you want the fruit layer to be pretty thick, thicker than in my picture, ideally). Gently pat the topping mixture over the fruit layer. Use a light touch--the less it is messed with, the better the topping will rise. Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes. Serve topped with your favorite vanilla ice cream alternative.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6477806970940246652.post-74899464304136919322008-06-23T14:38:00.003-04:002008-06-23T14:44:00.853-04:00Overheard<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SF_uv6kzyiI/AAAAAAAAAVE/bP9IQ7hn8Ms/s1600-h/meatcake01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GxjjaOoU-5A/SF_uv6kzyiI/AAAAAAAAAVE/bP9IQ7hn8Ms/s400/meatcake01.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215149400463231522" /></a><br />in the elevator today...<br /><br />Woman #1: They made me eat some vegan cake at the party this weekend.<br />Woman #2: Vegan cake? What is that?<br />Woman #1: It's cake with, like, the meat products taken out.<br />Woman #2: It's been a long time since I made a cake, but I never heard of a cake with meat in it!<br /><br />Believe it or not, <a href="http://www.blackwidowbakery.com/demo/meatcake/">meatcake</a> actually exists. Now who is going to volunteer to make a vegan version of this--maybe with a smiling cow on top?Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12742511177719890698noreply@blogger.com7